Work Smart with the SCA McGraw-Hill Supplement - 31

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO NEW YORK CONSTRUCTION ANATOMY OF A GREEN SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY IS THE RULE IN SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION ustainability is the rule in New York City’s public school construction. New school construction and renovations alike are regulated by the detailed NYC Green Schools Guide and Rating System, which was developed to achieve sustainable design, construction and operation of new schools, major modernization projects and select school renovations, as well as to ensure compliance with Local Law 86 of 2005 (New York City’s Green Building Law). Bene" ts of sustainable schools include energy and water conservation, operating cost reductions, and provision of a healthy environment for students. Moreover, demonstrating a tangible commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability strengthens efforts to teach students about the importance of environmental stewardship. Now that many projects governed by the Green Schools Guide and Rating System are underway, the bene" ts will be emerging for all to see. INTRODUCTION TO THE GREEN SCHOOLS GUIDE Developed by the SCA’s A&E Technical Standards & Support Studio and Dattner Architects, the NYC Green Schools Guide and related Standards was issued in 2007 to govern the sustainable design, construction and operation of new schools, modernization projects and school renovations and to achieve compliance with New York City’s Green Building Law. The Guide, which was awarded the 2008 “Beyond Green” High Performance Building Award by the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC), sets demanding standards, making New York City one of the " rst and largest school districts in the nation to legally require adherence to sustainable guidelines. The Guide applies to two types of SCA projects – Major Capital Projects (new construction and additions to, or reconstruction of, existing buildings) and applicable Capital Renovation Projects (projects with smaller scopes). Detailed guidelines and speci" cations for replacement of lighting, boilers, plumbing systems and HVAC controls are available on the SCA website. Experience shows that for contractors and designers alike, it takes a concerted team effort to meet the Guide’s requirements. SCA Total Building Commissioning Unit personnel are present at every phase of major Capital Projects (design, construction, turnover and follow-up) to review and audit plans 30 S and representative samples of systems submissions and to verify installation and performance. “Training, O&M manuals, warranties and attic stock are critical to making sure the building performs as designed,” says John DiVeglio, Director of the SCA Commissioning Unit. “We also initiate a joint critical review of the building system’s performance within ten months of operation.” Richard Eiden, SCA Manager of Green and Sustainable Design, encourages contractors to start reporting early in the process to document construction credits, and to consider hiring a dedicated clerical employee to keep track of documentation. “The credits are not hard to document, but they are very detail-oriented,” he says. “The earlier you start the process and understand what your design is intended to achieve, the easier it will be for everyone involved to come up with the paperwork to document the credits. It is imperative to start early.” RESPONDING TO PlaNYC The NYC Green Schools Guide and Rating System is closely aligned with the Mayor’s commitment to PlaNYC. The Mayor’s Of" ce has determined that the NYC Green Schools Guide and Rating System is at least as stringent as LEED-NC 2.2 Certi" ed Rating, and the expectations are certainly more strict. Unlike the LEED system, where it is up to the design team to pursue selected certi" cation points, the Green Schools Guide requires all projects subject to the Guidelines to obtain every possible credit. According to George Roussey, Director of Technical Standards and Support Studio for the SCA, in order to opt-out, designers “must prove to a review committee that a component is not feasible.” When the Green Schools Guide was created, the SCA reviewed every LEED credit to determine what would bene" t the schools and students speci" cally, along with the upfront cost of incorporating those LEED credits. Credits were incorporated only after it was clear that they could contribute a real and desirable element of green building, and only after a detailed cost/bene" t analysis. At this point, the Green Schools Guide has been effectively embedded into all standard drawings and speci" cations at the SCA, which direct internal and external designers to meet sustainable design requirements.
Work Smart with the SCA McGraw-Hill Supplement

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Work Smart with the SCA McGraw-Hill Supplement
